How Can I Get My Kids Organized for Back to School? Our 5 Tips!

Back to school often means back to morning mayhem. I’m hoping these tips will help my kids help themselves. 

My house has been known to be a bit chaotic at times. And nothing brings on the morning mayhem like back to school. I’ve always figured keeping my kids organized was squarely my job but this year, after another refrigerator door disaster, I’m trying to get them more involved in the process. I read somewhere that some experts said teaching your kids to be more responsible for their organization helps build their self confidence and independence. Bring it on!

So I found these great tips from GotFamilyGetOrganized.com and founder Amy Morris on how to keep the kids organized. Check them out! 

1. Hub Of The House– Create a central location to hang a bulletin board that will hold important school and family information. Teach kids to update the calendar themselves with any new info and get in the habit of checking it the night before for the following day’s activities so that they can prepare in advance. 
2. Work the Web– There are lots of online tools to help you get organized.  I like some of the features on GotFamilyGetOrganized.com.  The website lets you store family information in an easy to use format. You can store things like school schedules and extracurricular activities, social and sport information, emergency  info and medical records and appointments, just to name a few, and it is all available in a central location that can be accessed anytime and anywhere – from any computer, iPad, or smart phone. Very cool!
3. Organize Backpacks– A backpack is your child’s personal assistant. Teach them how to keep it neatly organized by only filling them with necessary school day items and keeping out unnecessary loose papers, non-school items and liquids. 
4. Make Lists– Teaching kids to make and prioritize lists will provide them with a greater sense of accomplishment - as they complete items and their lists become smaller, they will feel more productive and they have a greater sense of satisfaction in themselves.  Kids will take ownership for their tasks, shape their own time, and gain greater independence.
5. Student File Storage– Teach your kids to file school papers.  This comes in handy at exam time – especially if midterm and end of year final exams will include all the material covered to date. 
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I can’t make any promises that I will use all of these tips. But they do sound good. And I hope to try at least a few. What are your tips for keeping the kids organized?